L.A. Banker to Announce Syrian Reconstruction Fund

A Los Angeles banker, the head of a Middle Eastern investment bank and retired General Wesley Clark plan to announce Monday the formation of an investment fund to help rebuild Syria.

The fund will be a collaboration between Avenue Ventures LLC of Los Angeles and Gulf Financial House, an investment bank in Bahrain. A press conference to provide more details has been scheduled for Monday in Beverly Hills.

Expected to attend are Robert Sweeney, a former executive with downtown L.A.’s Far East National Bank and now senior vice president at Avenue Ventures, and Esam Janahi, chairman of Gulf Investment House.

The fund will aim to provide reconstruction and investment capital in Syria once the regime of current President Bashar al-Assad falls. A release previewing Monday’s announcement claims a lack of such post-revolution investment in other nations, such as Egypt and Libya, has led to continued instability in those countries.